Jerry Baker Joins Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Posted on February 11, 2019

Napa Valley, February 2019 --- Hawk and Horse Vineyards’ co-owners and founders Mitch Hawkins and Tracey Hawkins announce the appointment of Jerry M. Baker as Vice President, Sales & Marketing. This is a newly created position for this up and coming Red Hills appellation winery.

“We’re delighted to welcome Jerry to our team and know that his extensive expertise will allow us to refocus our sales and marketing strategies on the national and international stage. Our expanding footprint will be very positive for our brand and the growing interest in this new and exciting AVA,” they said in making the announcement.

“I am honored to be a part of the Hawk and Horse Vineyards team,” Baker commented. “The dedication and commitment to growing and producing the finest wines from this extraordinary property is remarkable. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I will be traveling the country to tell our story and taste the wines with buyers near and far,” he added.

Jerry has been a prominent senior executive in the wine industry for several decades. He has served in senior sales and marketing roles for Ladera Vineyards, White Oak Vineyards, Grgich Hills Cellars, Trefethen and Chateau Montelena. Before coming to Napa Valley, he held senior sales positions at American Wine & Spirits and Bohemian Distributing Company in Los Angeles. His introduction into the wine business was in Los Angeles at the Gallo Wine Company. He rounded out his Gallo experience as the West Central District Manager for the newly created E & J Gallo Winery Hotel Restaurant Division. He also owned, managed and marketed the proprietary brand, Casaeda Wines.

Jerry lives with his family in St. Helena and his hobbies include wine, travel, cooking and family time.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards is a family-owned and operated ranch and vineyard estate situated on a historic property in the Red Hills AVA of Lake County. The property straddles the Mayacama Mountain range and consists of 18 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah, which have been Demeter-Biodynamic certified since 2008 and California Certified Organic (CCOF) since 2004. As you walk through the vineyard, you’ll see Lake County ‘diamonds’ sparkling in the red volcanic soil. The property includes—apart from the resident hawks and horses--a herd of Scottish Highland cattle which provides materials for some of the biodynamic farming protocols.

The winery was founded in 1999 by Mitch Hawkins, Tracey Hawkins, David Boies, Christopher Boies and the Boies family. Current releases are 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Hills AVA), 2013 Sua Sponte (Napa AVA), 2014 Petit Verdot (Red Hills AVA), 2014 Petite Sirah (Red Hills AVA) and 2013 Latigo (the winery’s proprietary port-style dessert wine, also from the Red Hills AVA).

Region: Napa & Sonoma
Job Function: Sales/Marketing

Vintner & Designer Jean-Charles Boisset Explores the Senses in New Luxe Book

From a Biodynamic vintner

Press Release

ST. HELENA, CA (February 12, 2019) — Fantastical. Sensorial. Emotional. Those are just a few words to describe the new large-format, velvet-encased book from Jean-Charles Boisset. Those adjectives also describe the author, a vintner and designer who draws inspiration from the world of wine to take readers on a journey. The book combines the life, passions and philosophies of Jean-Charles, while also entertaining and engaging the reader through a series of spectacular illustrations and interactive activities. With wine as its muse, the book invites the reader to explore the art of living by examining their senses and experimenting with new perspectives.

For this adventure, there is no better guide than Jean-Charles. Growing up in Burgundy, his life has been guided by his senses and fueled with endless curiosity, passion and energy. Today, Boisset Collection owns 25 wineries throughout France and California, three gourmet food shops and is also increasingly delving into the broader luxury world with JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset-branded spirits, glassware, jewelry, candles, soaps and room sprays. Boisset also partners with historic luxury purveyors such as Baccarat, Lalique, Christofle, Saint Louis and Bernardaud to offer crystal, silver, place settings and objets d’art.

In the introduction, editor Teresa Rodriguez writes, “Let’s consider these pages not as a book, but as a stage, and what comes next is a performance. Jean-Charles is the director, the conductor, the creator and lead actor.” Each chapter unfolds in a series of acts, told through the lens of Jean-Charles, who imparts his wisdom, stories and ideas, then provides interactive opportunities for the readers to engage in similar areas of exploration.

Included in the book are three-dimensional spreads, sensory panels, textural elements and detailed illustrations. The book comes with a gold pendulum that can be used with a custom-designed chart to help access the five areas of the human dynamic: passion, balance, health, energy and love. On every page, there is something enticing and stimulating to engage and inspire readers. Visually stunning, both inside and out, it is the perfect coffee table book, to be visited time and again.

With the release of the book, Jean-Charles will be touring major cities across the U.S., inviting members of the public and wine trade, journalists and corporate partners to explore his multi-faceted world and engage in immersive sensory experiences. To find a city near you, visit alchemyofthesenses.com/book-tour-dates

Please go here for photos (bit.ly/2Bx3ALH)

About JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset

Created by Jean-Charles Boisset, JCB embraces and represents a new height of luxury, uniting the worlds of wine and fashion in luxurious tasting locations and experiences that transcend terroir, reaching beyond the traditional confines of wine to embody style and sophistication. The JCB collection of limited-edition wines and spirits unite centuries of Burgundian family tradition with the graceful exploration of sophisticated terroir. Dedicated to capturing style, JCB wines, spirits and accessories embody an uncompromising personality that transcends the traditional confines and are audacious, unique, and mysterious. For more information, please visit: jcbcollection.com

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Media Contacts
Andrea Burnett, Andrea Burnett Public Relations, aburnettpr@gmail.com, 650.207.0917

Megan Long, Boisset Collection, megan.long@boisset.com, 707.963.6939

http://www.alchemyofthesenses.com

VinItaly and Veronafiere's Organic and Biodynamic Competition "Wine Without Walls" Offers New Trophies

Robert Kershaw MW is the panel chair for Wines without Walls

The 2019 edition of Wine Without Walls... will be held in Verona on April 3rd 2019 featuring natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from all over the world. Overseeing it are biodynamic wine writer Monty Waldin (also General Chairman of 5StarWines) and the coordination of Master of Wine Richard Kershaw, the new Wine Without Walls Panel Chairman.

5StarWines book features a dedicated Wine Without Walls section

In 2016, Veronafiere and Vinitaly established the Wine Without Walls section of the international tasting 5StarWines, to promote and give recognition to producers whose work focuses entirely on natural, organic and biodynamic, and low sulfite wines.

The Wine Without Walls selection takes place in Verona, Italy, contemporaneously to the 5StarWines blind tasting organized from April 3rd to 5th 2019 right before the world’s most renowned Italian wine fair, Vinitaly. The third edition of Wine Without Walls this year will introduce a revised assessment method and two brand new trophies, both features aiming at giving added value to wineries enrolling in the selection...

Wine Without Walls 2019 will showcase the natural, biodynamic, and low sulfite wines coming from every corner of the world. These wines will be tasted by high-profile international judges that will evaluate them following an improved assessment method.

Wine Without Walls will open its doors to companies producing wines with sulfite levels below 80 mg/lt. By doing that, the organizers are aiming at making the event more accessible and appealing to a larger number of producers.

Monty Waldin, General Chairman of 5StarWines and Scientific Director of Wine Without Walls commented on the new sulfites limit.

“This year, we decided to raise slightly the permitted limit of total sulfites for the entries. Our rationale behind this change was to make Wine Without Walls slightly more inclusive but without going so far as to include in the tasting absolutely every single organic, natural or Biodynamic wine ever made....Our wish is that Wine Without Walls remains inclusive, credible, rigorous, and transparent, whilst also recognising that this field of winemaking is as dynamic, challenging, rewarding and chameleon-like as the wines themselves.”

Another fundamental revamp of the selection will be the numerical score that individual natural wines will be awarded. From now on, the dedicated Wine Without Walls jury will rate biodynamic and organic wines using the same numerical assessment method used for the 5StarWines grand tasting.

The panel of judges will assign scores to each wine presented, and the elements subject to examination include the visual, olfactory, and gustatory components of the wine. Thereafter, an average score will be tallied; this final score will be out of 100.

Wines scoring 90 points out of 100 will be included in the 5StarWines – the Book guide, a promotional tool designed to help wineries gain recognition and increased market share. The improved numerical centesimal assessment makes the final score more tangible and immediate to grasp to an international public and is designed to better help wineries in the promotion of their products.

The selection process will also be enhanced by the assignment of various Wine Without Walls trophies. For the first time, along with a final score and a personalized commendation within the 5StarWines – the Book, participants will also run for the “Best Winery” and “Best Wine Without Walls Wine” trophies.

The “Best Wine Without Walls Winery” trophy will be awarded to the producer who gets the best averaged out results. The final results are those that wineries obtain averaging the scores from at least 3 of their wines that procured awards in at least 2 different categories.

The trophy for the “Best Wine Without Walls Wine”, however, will be instead assigned to the wine that scored the highest score during the Wine Without Walls selection.

Confirmed Wine Without Walls judges this year include: Gill Gordon Smith (Vinitaly International Academy Italian Wine Expert and CEO at Fall from Grace), Regine Lee (Head of Customer Support at Liberty Wines), and Richard Barnes (Founder and Editor at Grape Collective). During the last edition, 24 organic and biodynamic wines made it through the final selection.

Richard Kershaw (center) MW, the 2019 Panel Chairman, Wine Without Wall

At the end of the event, the panel agreed that the wines far exceeded their expectations in terms of quality, complexity, and, most importantly, value. With a combination of old and new strategies, Veronafiere and Vinitaly wishes to see the number and the quality of participants grow exponentially.

To apply, click here.

About: The grand Vinitaly 2019 will be held from April 7th to the 10th. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” which will be held on the 6th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the seventh edition of its Certification Course and today counts 157 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 13 Italian Wine Experts.

French Wine Estate Explores its Wild Side

Source: Wine-Searcher.com 

One French estate has welcomed all creatures great and small in a bid to restore balance to the vineyards.

By Vicki Denig | Posted Saturday, 02-Feb-2019

In the world of organic viticulture, Bordeaux isn't particularly the frontrunner. However, amongst a slew of grand châteaux working with chemicals, Benoît and Delphine Vinet are pioneering the world of organic Bordelais biodiversity, encouraging not just the implementation of organic farming practices, but also the simultaneous existence of a thriving ecosystem, creating an oasis of wildlife, flora, and fauna, all within eight hectares on the region's Right Bank.

The Vinets founded Domaine Emile Grelier, named after Delphine's wine-loving, constable grandfather, in the early 2000s, situated in the small village of Lapouyade. Benoît, a vigneron for 15-plus years, and Delphine, an employee of the local town library, grew up in the French countryside to land-laboring parents, no strangers to the work of passion-fueled farming. After numerous years of working for other wineries, Benoît set out to pursue his dream: create a holistic,  self-sustaining winery, rich in biodiversity and organic viticulture.

The Vinets began planting eight hectares of vines, slowly but surely gearing up for a life of sustainability. Though the transition didn't come easy – or cheap. At the beginning, Benoit worked for other wineries to make ends meet, while continuing to plant, prune, and train his own vines. After the first "three leafs", the winery was finally ready to bottle and sell their first wines in 2012, comprised of 100-percent Merlot within the designated Bordeaux Supérieur AOC.

But varietal Merlot is just the beginning of what the Vinets are seeking to create. At their winery, which operates more as a full farm, the couple has created an entire ecosystem surrounding their home. In addition to grape vines, 54 different types of birds call their estate home, as well as frogs, snakes, insects, and bats; flowers and wild orchids line the perimeter of the property, and fish splash through the manmade ponds dug into the property's soils.

Making bird boxes

The insect hotel

So why introduce such an array of animals, plants, and above all, competition, into a thriving vineyard?


"We've [moved from] a monoculture of the vine and replaced it with an ecosystem," explains Delphine. "At the vineyard, trees help create microclimates, as well has moderate temperature deviations (fighting against late frosts, for example)," she states. "Planted in rows, they become useful 'ecological corridors' for many animals, including birds and bats. In addition, they produce fruit, an interesting addition to a region mainly known for its vines."

Vinet explains that above all, these plants' roots help protect the soil from rain and heat, in addition to aerating the vines. "Additional plants also [naturally] create a high-quality mulch, which boosts the life of the soil, creating mushrooms and bacteria, which re-decompose into the soil." And perhaps the most important life force within the ecosystem? Bats. "Bats are nocturnal mammals, capable of eating up to 3000 insects per night, each," says Delphine, providing an extreme efficiency in fighting against moths, which lay on (and damage) the vines' berries. "Because the bats work on the whole vineyard (they move with a sonar), it's necessary to provide a relief; trees are very useful to them."

During the day, the ecosystem's 54 species of birds relieve the bats, hunting insect predators within the vineyards to feed their young. "The idea isn't to get rid of the insects, but to create an equilibrium," Vinet clarifies.

The domaine proudly boasts 10 'gites a chauves-souris' (bat houses), as well as seven hedgehog 'cabines' and four 'insect hotels'. In addition to the estate's 50 birdhouses, the domaine is also used as an owl refuge, with special owleries installed into the estate's many trees, used to recover and nurse the birds back to health. To nourish all of the animals within the ecosystem, as well as create new plants, the Vinets also constructed six ponds across the farm, which breed dragonflies, amphibians, salamanders, and water plants. However, to protect the bee population, the Vinets are careful not to construct or disrupt activity too close to the vines.

Most interesting of all, is that, contrary to popular belief, the couple claims to have not seen any competition between the vines and other existing flora.

"If we do not cut the plants, they do not compete with the vine," states Delphine. "In fact, when they are cut, they take water and food from the ground to repel because their goal is to sow, which causes stress for the vine. If left alone, they coexist well with the vine."

In terms of vineyard failure, the Vinets deem to not having seen much, with regards to introducing a world of biodiversity to their vines. However, they have found small technique adjustments to better their strategies.

"For example, for trees, we understood that to succeed in planting, it is better to first plant the rootstock and then graft on the rootstock already installed. This helps to develop the root system before developing the tree. This ensures a better success of the transplant."

Unsurprisingly, the Vinets' work has piqued some significant interest in the larger Bordeaux region – including from other wineries, seeking to potentially introduce biodiversity into their own estates.

Château Coutet, located within the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, is another winery continuing to introduce plants, trees, and animals into the mix, as well as Domaine d'Eriane, located further south within the Languedoc region. Vinet also revealed that they are receiving calls regularly from surrounding neighbors – including a few undisclosed 'bigger name' wineries – calling on the duo for consulting and guidance on this style of farming. As of 2014, Domaine Emile Grelier became the first French winery to become a Refuge LPO, signifying their commitment to preserving and restoring local biodiversity.

As for the future, the Vinets plan to continue developing agroforestry, as well as grow the flora and fauna within the vineyard. Both Delphine and Benoît are interested in the implementation of biodynamics, and above all, hope to continue educating those surrounding wineries on the benefits of 'biodiversity farming.'

"After the war, chemicals were recycled in agriculture; little by little, farmers lost their common sense and cultures adapted to these modern techniques," says Vinet. "It is a mistake! Let us find our common sense, our good agronomic farming logic, and adapt the material to a respectful culture. It's effective! We do not invent what we do. We use old techniques that worked well and made sense."

MORE COVERAGE



Domaine Émile Grelier: trees in the heart of the vineyard

After having planted nearly 400 trees, Benoît and Delphine Vinet are laureates of the Arbres d'avenir contest. They continue to experiment with alternative practices.

Source: SudOuest 
By SYLVAIN PETITJEAN s.petitjean@sudouest.fr

A wooden house, planted on the edge of a forest. The natural setting corresponds to the spirit of the place. Settled in Lapouyade in the 2000s, winemakers Benoît and Delphine Vinet practice agroforestry. It is not a question of exploiting the trees, rather of reconciling their presence with an agricultural activity. The 400 trees planted in their vineyards led them to change their practices. An approach distinguished by the association Fermes d'avenir as part of its Trees of the Future contest.

"Viticulture, even organic, is a monoculture," says Benoît who had helped plant vines on these lands when he was a farmer at the Tutiac winery. At the head of the estate with Delphine, they wanted to "restore equilibrium and a certain biodiversity. A monoculture will attract insect pests of this crop. Fruit trees attract others and this limits the overdevelopment of the first ... »

Recreate ecosystems

The couple then contacted naturalist associations to recreate a welcoming environment for small animals and others. The first trees are planted in the rows of vines. "These are landmarks for bats when they come out of the woods because they are heading through their sonar. They hunt at night and as most insects have nocturnal activity. Very effective against cluster worms. Also insectivorous, birds that move into small huts planted on the plot take over during the day. "We counted more than fifty species of birds. The estate has even become the first winery to secure refuge status by the Bird Protection League (LPO).

In three or four years, even with young tree seedlings, winemakers are seeing big changes. It must be said that the landscape moves around insect hotels and hedgehog cabins. "The basis of the project is to reintroduce the tree. Fragment plots to recreate micro-climates, recreate relief, dig ponds, stop mowing to promote bridges between forest and vineyards, all that goes with it. We are testing a lot of things here. In addition, it's pretty and effective. The last planting campaign this year has planted 200 trees in the vineyards.

Associate cultures

"Originally, it is a forest liana," recalls Delphine. "The ancients practiced the joualle, a system of companionship between plants that consisted of climbing the vines on the fruit trees. The Domaine Émile Grelier is not yet at this stage but could develop market gardening.

Some onions and potatoes under a hay bale unrolled between the vines gave a very satisfactory first production. "At the time of co-working or carpooling, why not co-cultures? It would make sense. The happiness factor is often forgotten, but it is priceless. Like picking parsley in the rows of vines and seeing butterflies go by. "

Mini-conference of Delphine Vinet live TEDx Viroflay Friday, March 9  2018 on www.tedxviroflay.com 
Presentation of the project of the Possiblerie, Thursday, March 15, at the Ecocitoyenne House of Bordeaux. And Wednesday, March 28, evening with the association Agronomists and veterinarians without borders at Zig Zag café, 73, Argonne course in Bordeaux.

ALSO COVERED HERE
https://mag.farmitoo.com/fr/2018/05/25/delphine-benoit-domaine-emile-grelier/

Real Wine Fair Grows 30% to 160 Producers

The Real Wine Fair is set to represent around a third more countries when it returns to London for its sixth year in May, as interest in natural, low-intervention, organic, and biodynamic wines grows.

Source: The Drinks Business

Around 170 artisan and small producers from 23 different countries will represent the sector in London this year – an increase of around a third on 2017’s  show, when 160 producers from 15 countries took part. The 2019 show will include a number of UK producers for the first time, along with producers from Greece, Poland, Slovakia and Serbia.

Organiser Doug Wregg of natural and artisan wine importer Les Caves de Pyrene said there will be around 50 new producers at the 2019 show, including producers from Georgia, Croatia, USA and Australia. Meanwhile France and Italy would remain a strong focus for the show, with growers from 14 different regions of Italy, from Sicily to Piedmont, while Central Europe was also very well represented.

Running alongside the show is Real Wine Month, a month-long celebration throughout May, in which more than 300 bars, bistros, restaurants, and independent retailers and wholesalers across the UK and Ireland will embrace low-intervention, organic, biodynamic and natural wines and promote them to their customers, serving them by the glass or offering discounts on bottles. During the 2017 campaign, there were around 50 additional events, ranging from tastings, wine dinners, masterclasses and grower takeovers alongside the campaign.

Wregg said that although hard data on the increasing popularity of real wine and stats of producer numbers was hard to gather, there was plenty of anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the proliferation of natural wine bars since 2010.

“Virtually, every enquiry we receive is from new customers who are setting up on- or off-trade businesses specialising in organic, biodynamic, low intervention or natural wines,” he told db.

“You see the wines on restaurant lists throughout the land, but the proliferation of natural wine bars since 2010 illustrates the dynamic. Plus there is a new generation of sommeliers and retail buyers.”

Wregg added that contrary to the perception that natural wines did not age well, lees-aged and oxidative whites, or wines with higher acidity, amber/skin contact, and traditionally-made low sulphur reds had the wherewithal to “age beautifully”.

“A lot of these wines are held for years before release,” he said, although he recognised the “subset” of juicy, carbonic drink-me reds that were good to drink sooner than later,

“One thing that the last 10-15 years of drinking has proved is that the wines are a lot less fragile than people might think. And if I look at the line-up at the Real Wine Fair, I would say that some are pushing the boundaries, while others are the reference in their respective regions.”

The Real Wine Fair will take place at Tobacco Dock in Wapping, east London on 12 -13 May, with the Real Wine Fair Ireland, organised by Le Caveau in Kilkenny, taking place in Dublin on 15 May for the second year.

Editor's Note: The U.S. producers attending are:
Beckham Estate Vineyard
Bow & Arrow
Kelley Fox Wines
La Garagista Farm & Winery
Lo-Fi
Martha Stoumen*••
Minimus Wines*
Ovum Wines
Populis Wine*••
Ruth Lewandowski Wines*••

*Wineries that sometimes use certified organic grapes to make some wines
•• Wineries that all source from Venturi Vineyards in Mendocino

OWP Person of the Year 2018: Rudy Marchesi Oregon’s Beloved Biodynamic Mentor

Oregon Wine Press

By Jade Helm



Some people regard Rudy Marchesi, president and chief viticulturist at Montinore Estate, as an artisan. A fair descriptor though this is not the core of his success. Exceptional practicality and results-oriented thinking with a healthy dose of curiosity and generosity remain his foundation, leading to a career of constant learning and, now, influence on an international level, thanks to Biodynamic methodology.

Add Rudy Marchesi, with his dog, Enzo, stuffs cow horns with manure,
a Biodynamic prepapration known as 500.

Created by philosopher and scientist Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who first explained it in a series of agriculture lectures in 1924, Biodynamics was new to Marchesi in 1979, when a college friend came to help him with his new vineyard. “He had spent several months working on the Findhorn Farm in Scotland where they had pioneered Biodynamic farming in that area. His stories of the practices, the composts and the remarkable vegetables all were inspiring,” Marchesi explained.

Wine, on the other hand, has always been a part of his life. In fact, his grandparents, Carlo and Rosa Marchesi, cultivated a love of the land, growing and producing their own food, including grapes and wine in Northern Italy. After immigrating to the U.S., they continued this tradition all the while instilling this same passion for digging in the dirt — and making wine — in their grandson.

Marchesi’s wine career began in the early ’80s in the Northeast, making wine for his own small label while raising his daughters. But when his oldest daughter, an ambitious student, wanted to attend Reed College in Portland, he had to add another “hat” to raise enough funds. He noted, “This wasn’t going to happen on a poor winemaker’s income.” So, he accepted a position with a wine distributor.

 

Native plant corridors for pollinators and wildlife are important for biodiversity at Montinore.
Photo by Andrea Johnson.

In turn, his palate broadened with exposure to fine European selections — he also got to visit his daughter in Oregon during work trips. Marchesi soon noticed his favorite French wines were made with Biodynamic practices. A longtime proponent of organic agriculture, his interests were piqued — so much so he eventually studied at the yearlong training course in Biodynamics at the Pfeiffer Center in New York.

An organization that practices, teaches and promotes Biodynamics, the Pfeiffer Center describes the farming as “an approach to plant and land care that combines novel techniques of building up healthy soil with a renewed awareness of all the forces at work in the farm organism: among and between the soil, plants, animals and humans, as well as the cosmos itself.” Steiner created the method in response to farmers who were concerned about the declining health and vitality of their crops, plants and animals.

Rudy Marchesi hosts teams from Portland restaurants St. Jack's and Laurelhurst. The
guests assis in filling cowhorns with manure for Biodynamic preparation 500
Photo: Andrew Johnson

With the Reed tuition mission accomplished, Marchesi returned to working in wine production. Recognizing the potential in Oregon, he accepted a consultancy in Forest Grove at Montinore Estate in 1998. In 2003, he started Biodynamic trials on parts of the vineyard, including a particular anemic Pinot Noir block that looked good on paper but was not producing.  After one season of Biodynamic treatments, the vines showed a “Charlie Brown Christmas” tree transformation, going from “spindly to healthy.”

By 2006, all of Montinore’s vines were being converted to Biodynamic farming. In 2008, Demeter USA, the nation’s governing body for Biodynamic practices, certified both Montinore’s vineyard and winery. No small feat.

 Before this grand undertaking, Marchesi had worked with Biodynamic practices in small gardens and vineyards, but converting 240 acres of vines was another story. Doug Tunnell of Brick House Vineyards commented, “Rudy’s professional contribution is clear. He has demonstrated Biodynamic agriculture is not just for small farmers but can be successfully accomplished on a large scale.” In fact, Demeter USA recently reported that Montinore Estate is the country’s largest producer of certified estate wines made from Biodynamic grapes.

Marchesi admits conversion was a challenge, but he continued to find motivation in the wine. “Over the first five years, character manifested in the wine like we had never seen before,” he explained, adding that this was the result of the vineyard being healthy enough to express itself. Marchesi also noticed a positive cumulative effect the longer he farmed the land using Steiner’s methods.

With such great success, he wanted to engender the Biodynamic movement, but Marchesi quickly discovered accessible information and a forum for farmers were nowhere to be found. Yet, he saw the potential value in such a community that shared experiences and learned from one another. “It is good to stick together and share with your neighbors. That makes us better farmers,” he said.

Marchesi joined a small group of winemakers in those early years, including Tunnell, Mike Etzel of Beaux Frères, Gilles de Domingo of Cooper Mountain and others. Kevin Chambers, managing director of Koosah Farm noted, “Rudy brings a love of learning to all of his pursuits. It is evident in his endeavors to grow better grapes and in the enthusiasm in which he coalesces people to talk and learn.”

Since 2006, Marchesi has been hosting Biodynamic educational events at Montinore. In 2017, more than 50 vintners from Oregon and Washington gathered for such a forum. Speakers included Mac Mead, director of the Pfeiffer Center; Jim Fullmer, then co-director of Demeter USA; and keynote speaker Adriano Zago, a European Biodynamic consultant from Italy. Bill Sweat of Winderlea in the Dundee Hills views these meetings as an example of Marchesi’s generosity of spirit. “It would have been so much easier for Rudy to spend two days alone with Adriano. Instead, he put forth the effort to bring a group of winemakers together so we could all benefit.”

Marchesi’s contributions to Biodynamic wine education range from neighborly to global in scale. For example, the Biodynamic Association’s annual conference was held in Portland in 2018, and Marchesi took the opportunity to bring people together for intensive learning at a pre-conference Biodynamic winemaking seminar at Montinore. Speakers included Zago, plus other experts such as Nicoletta Dicova, an Italian wine journalist and communicator who researches natural wine; Stephen Webber, Montinore head winemaker; and Dan Rinke, vineyard manager and winemaker at Johan Vineyards. In addition to speaking at Montinore, Marchesi frequently represents Biodynamic winegrowers at informational events like Oregon Pinot Camp.

Most recently, Marchesi was one of nine growers — and the only American — asked to join the International Biodynamic Viticulture Group. This new committee will endeavor to integrate more viticulture into the annual Biodynamic Agriculture Conference held in Dornach, Switzerland, and to create a web-based forum for exchange of information among the world’s Biodynamic winegrowers.
And yet, according to Sweat, “Despite the additional demands on his time, Rudy will still take time to share ideas over a beer.”

This sentiment is testament to why Marchesi has been selected as the Oregon Wine Press Person of the Year for 2018. For his work in Biodynamics and its advocacy, and, more importantly, for his generosity of spirit, OWP is pleased to honor him.

True to form, with modesty and practical application, Marchesi responded after learning of the award, “I am shocked and humbled. Most significantly, I appreciate that this honor may impart more validity and recognition to Biodynamic viticulture.”

Bonterra and Biodynamics Take Center Stage in New Amazon Prime Series

Press Release

Wine Enthusiast Media is pleased to announce the launch of It Starts With Wine, an original series premiering on Amazon Prime Video January 4th, 2019.

The episodic series travels the globe and follows the world's best winemakers, growers, producers and personalities, along with prominent chefs and celebrities, to offer viewers an inside look at the people, locations, cuisines and cultures that surround the wine lifestyle and the world's finest wines and spirits.

The first episode in the groundbreaking cinematic series features famed chef and restaurateur Francis Mallmann, with acclaimed "flying winemaker" Alberto Antonini, set against the beautiful backdrop of Uruguay and one of the country's premier wineries, Bodega Garzon.

"We felt that the best way to convey these stories was in episodic fashion," says Jay Spaleta, Executive Producer and Wine Enthusiast SVP. "Wine Enthusiast has long been an innovator in wine information, reviews and content, this is the next bold step in that content leadership."
"It Starts With Wine is a docuseries that tells a personal story and shares deep insights in a way that is very approachable, engaging and revealing," continues Spaleta.

Wine Enthusiast Media will be simultaneously releasing episodes I, II and III for viewers binge-watching pleasure. The series will be available on Amazon Prime Video in North America and Vimeo's On Demand premium video service globally.

Episode II of It Starts With Wine follows doctor / vintner Laura Catena and musician / chef Deborah De Corral on a visit to Bodega Catena Zapata, the renowned Argentine Winery. Founded in 1902, Catena is known for bringing traditional European winemaking methods to South America.

Joseph Brinkley, vineyard manager for Bonterra, stars in new Amazon Prime wine program

Episode III travels to California to look at biodynamic viticulture with Joseph Brinkley, vineyard director at Bonterra Organic Vineyards and explores the simplicity of elemental food with chef Garrett Sathre.

About Wine Enthusiast:

Wine Enthusiast Media creates innovative long and short-format content in the wine, spirits, travel and lifestyle categories. Wine Enthusiast Media is the production division of Wine Enthusiast Companies founded in 1979, and publisher of Wine Enthusiast magazine.

For more info visit: https://itstartswithwine.com

For media inquiries, image, footage and interview requests:
John Van Dekker
914-610-6074
jvandekker@enormouscreative.com

SOURCE Wine Enthusiast Media